First Drive: 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

The fastest 911 in history is as close to a racing car that you can drive on the street

After more than 50 years of existence, naming a new Porsche 911 as “the most powerful 911 ever” starts to lose its appeal, owing to the march of technology and improvements of every car on the road in the last half century. But the latest “most powerful” 911, the GT2 RS, has a measurably larger and more unique appeal in this distinction.

And it’s not just because the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS achieved the fastest lap of the Nürburgring’s famed Nordschleife route for a road-going sports car in a time of six minutes, 47.3 seconds earlier this year. No, it’s also because the incredible 700 horsepower wrung out of its 3.6-litre flat-six now puts the 911 firmly into supercar territory. Oh, of course, the 911 is a famed sports car, and has always been one of the fastest on a race circuit, but it now enters the pantheon of the likes of the Ferrari Enzo, Lamborghini Aventador and the McLaren 720S. This one is beyond just a sensational sports car, it’s now a seriously powerful monster.

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Porsche

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Porsche

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

Not much to see in the engine bay of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

Neil Vorano, Driving

To save weight, the badge on the GT2 RS's hood is a sticker instead of raised plastic.

Neil Vorano, Driving

The huge, adjustable rear wing on the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

Neil Vorano, Driving

The distilled water reservoir for the cooling system sits in the trunk of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

Neil Vorano, Driving

Yes, that’s 700 horsepower from what was originally making just 500 in the naturally aspirated 911 GT3. And that’s due to dual turbochargers (larger than those on the Turbo) with variable geometry, new pistons and shorter intake manifolds (making the intake air cooler), among other tweaks. Those also add up to a thundering 553 pound-feet of torque, starting at just 2,500 rpm, and bring the car to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds.

But one of the engine changes indicates that the 911, as it stands now, may be approaching its peak performance – engine cooling at higher loads necessitates spraying water on its intercooler via an on-board reservoir, which of course has to be refilled from time to time. There’s obviously no more room for larger rads at this point.

The GT2 RS also gets a dual-clutch, seven-speed PDK transmission for the first time; forget about a manual gearbox, this car is all about maximum lap times. An interesting feature of this transmission is the “paddle neutral” feature; when needed, a driver pulls back on the two paddle shifters to put the gearbox into neutral, and when power is again needed, simply release the paddles to get back into gear. That’s a little feature for the absolute pro driver.

And you’d better have serious skills if you take this beast onto its intended habitat: A race track. Seven hundred horsepower through the rear wheels makes fence posts meld into one big blur pretty quickly, but it can also make the rear end have a mind of its own if the driver loses his. Luckily, the PSM stability control keeps things in check while still allowing a little bit of slide, just to let you know that you’re doing it wrong. (You can, of course, turn that off.) And that PDK gearbox is flawless in shifting on its own, doing a much better job than most drivers can.

But mere horsepower isn’t just what gave the GT2 RS its record lap at the Nürburgring; this top-tier 911 has the handling of a race car. In fact, it’s about as close to a pure-bred racing machine that can be had with a road-going car, and that starts with a lighter weight. Based on the Turbo chassis, the GT2 RS weighs just under 1,500 kilograms, with help from extensive use of magnesium, carbon fibre and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic; the windshield is even made of Gorilla Glass, like your iPhone and the Ford GT supercar, for a lighter weight, while the side and rear windows are made of a special glass that is as light as polycarbonate. There are no rear seats available, and it can even be had with no air conditioning or radio. Want it even lighter? The Weissach package drops the weight by almost 30 kilograms with magnesium wheels and even more use of carbon fibre, including for the anti-roll bars and coupling rods in the front suspension.

That light weight and crazy power is controlled with extensive aerodynamic modifications over the Turbo; most obvious is the gigantic adjustable rear wing, which adds up to 450 kg of downforce at 340 km/h, but the front splitter is also adjustable; additional vents in the front fenders not only help cool the front brakes but also reduce lift; and the belly pan is also designed to add vacuum underneath. Finally, the massive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires (265/35 ZR20 front, 325/30 ZR21 rear) are like gum on hot asphalt with their stickiness. Which is good, because at these kind of speeds you want all the help you can get to keep the shiny side up.

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal.

Neil Vorano, Driving

The distilled water reservoir for the cooling system sits in the trunk of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Neil Vorano, Driving

Not much to see in the engine bay of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

Neil Vorano, Driving

All of this adds up to a track car that not just tears up a straightaway, but also astounds in the corners. Standard ceramic brakes bring the car down to turning speeds hard, time and again, and the GT2 leaps through to the apex and powers out with little discernible turbo lag; it’ll only take a few corners for you to appreciate not having to shift a manual box with three pedals here, it gets very busy very quickly. Steering is spot-on sharp, with lots of feedback from those massive front Michelins through the wheel to let you know what’s going on up there – especially good considering it has electromechanical steering. It also features rear-axle steering for even more agility in the curves.

Yes, the GT2 RS is a true track car – oh, it’s civil enough for the roads, though with a slightly harsh ride and interior noise from the road and engine so loud you have to practically yell to carry a conversation. But really, the only reason you should have this on the streets in the first place is because you’re going to your favourite driving circuit.

And what do these speed thrills cost you? Well, supercar performance brings supercar prices: the GT2 RS starts at $334,000 in Canada; that’s about $170,000 more than the 911 GT3, itself no slouch in the performance department. And getting the Weissach package adds an additional $35,370. Is that jump in price – which is actually more than the $163,300 starting price of the GT3 – worth it on track? The GT2 RS may not be twice the car of its little sibling, but there will probably be more than a few people out there who will find owning the fastest road-going Porsche 911 in history to be priceless.